United Nations, Jan 14 (IANS): The deal on the export of grain and fertilisers from Black Sea ports continues to make a difference, as indicated in the lowering of global food prices, a senior United Nations official has said.

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict approaching its one-year anniversary, there is "no end in sight to the fighting or the suffering", Rosemary DiCarlo, UN under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Despite the challenging context, the Black Sea Grain Initiative continues to make a difference, including by helping bring global food prices down," she said, noting that the Food and Agriculture Organization reports a continued decline of its Food Price Index.

On July 22, 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with Turkey and the United Nations on grain and fertiliser exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, due to expire on November 19, was extended for another 120 days.

More than 17 million metric tons of foodstuffs have now been moved under the deal, reaching, or on the way to, some 43 countries, DiCarlo said.

Roughly 20 per cent of the total is for countries categorised by the World Bank as low-income or lower-middle-income economies, she added.

"The United Nations also continues its engagement with all stakeholders to remove remaining obstacles to Russian food and fertiliser exports, including ammonia. These exports are key to keep prices down and mitigate food insecurity, and we urge all concerned to work to that end," said DiCarlo.